[Anemia and growth in Congolese adolescents with homozygous sickle cell anemia at Central University Hospital of Brazzaville].

The rate of hemoglobin of 71 homozygous sickle cell disease patients from 10 to 18 years was studied, as well as the mean cell volume for 61 of them. Their height, weight and bone age were compared. The rate of hemoglobin in steady state is 6.5 g/dl +/- 2.3 for girls against 7.9 g/dl +/- 1.5 for boys. There's no significant difference between the rate of hemoglobin on sexual maturation state for girls. But the boys from 14 to 18 years old with signs of sexual maturation had higher rate of hemoglobin than those had not (8.5 g/dl +/- 1.3 against 6.3 g/dl +/- 1.5). Eighteen per cent of patients with homozygous sickle cell disease had a MCV superior to 100 mu 3; 57% are between 80 to 100 mu 3 and 25% under 80 mu 3. Patients with higher MCV to 100 mu 3 had low weight and height than those with inferior MCV to 80 mu 3 or 80 and 100 mu 3. Their sexual maturation is delayed with very low bone age and elevated number of hospitalisation and transfusion. Their delay of maturation was very high too. The supplementation with folic acid can lead to reduction of MCV.